The2026 Met Galared carpet is rarely free from theatrical drama, but pop iconSabrina Carpenterfound herself at the centre of an unexpected internet storm following the event. Carpenter stunned the red carpet in a custom-made Christian Dior gown crafted entirely from film strips from the 1954Sabrinastarring Audrey Hepburn.
The cinematic tribute, which celebrates the museum's 'Costume Art' exhibition under the dress code 'Fashion is Art', has quickly gone viral. However, the praise was swiftly met with online outrage, as frantic social media users accused Carpenter and Dior of destroying the 'last original copy' of Audrey Hepburn's classic 1954 film.
She also drew comparison toKim Kardashian's controversial 2022 Met Gala momentin Marilyn Monroe's dress. Social media users questioned whether Carpenter, like Kardashian, had 'destroyed' film history in a similar way. But was the priceless cinematic masterpiece destroyed or remains safe?
Designed by Jonathan Anderson for Dior, the halter-neck gown was a literal translation of the evening's artistic mandate. The dress featured actual, rhinestone-encrusted film strips wrapped around Carpenter's body.
On closer inspection, you can see individual frames showcasing scenes featuring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden.
The ensemble was finished with a vintage skull cap displaying the original film's title card, paired with towering Christian Louboutin heels and more than 48 carats of Chopard diamonds, as reported byL'Officiel.
Speaking toVogue, hosted by La La Anthony on the red carpet, Carpenter expressed her excitement about the dress, calling it a personal dream. 'It's all made of film, which is my dream,' Carpenter said. 'It's from the movieSabrina, which is one of my favourite films of all time.'
The custom creation marks a continuation ofCarpenter's highly publicised partnership with Anderson, who also designed her recent custom outfits for her headlining sets at the Coachella music festival. The singer, who has frequently experimented with classic Hollywood aesthetics, used the gala to lean heavily into her cinematic namesake.
The spectacular fashion statement, however, triggered immediate backlash across social media platforms like X, where users accused the singer and her team of cultural vandalism. Critics assumed a rare, irreplaceable piece of Hollywood history had been sliced up for a red carpet stunt.
'What a waste of vintage tape,' one user wrote, while another pointed to double standards in the industry: 'It pisses me off that the film of an Audrey movie ended like that; they complain about the Kardashians, but here they say nothing.' A third critic went further, writing: 'wtf sabrina took the last available copy of that film in the entire world. she's gone too far.'
Source: International Business Times UK
